Mall stores robbed; man, 18, arrested

Staff of three stores inside a mall in barangay Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City discovered the loss of a total of P120,000 and clothes to theft as they opened for business yesterday morning.

However, one of the alleged thieves was arrested.

The stores robbed are owned by Rasbea Rascal who sells clothes, Rose Lim of Salon D’Rose and Noraiza Abagat who also sells RTWs.

A security guard on duty at Marina Mall heard noise inside the stores, prompting him to call for police assistance.

Personnel from the Pusok police station and SWAT arrived at the mall and invited the owners to come to the mall so they can open their stores.

When the owners and representative of the stores arrived, the police en- tered the stores and found an 18-year-old man hiding in the ceiling of one of the stores.

Jamil Batinggulo, of barangay Poblacion, LapuLapu City was arrested and admitted they used a duplicate key to open the glass door of the store owned by Rascal.

He said that from Rascal’s store, they broke into adjacent stores by passing through the ceiling.

He alleged that he was with two accomplices.

Rascal said she lost P50,000. Lim said she also lost P50,000 and Abagat said she lost P20,000 worth of RTWs.

Batinggulo is temporarily detained at the holding cell of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office pending the filing of charges against him and his cohorts who are at large.